KEY POINTS:
"Pull the trigger," he said, "go on, you can do it." "Just look down the barrel and fire."
It sounds so easy coming from Mr strapping Events Co-ordinator. Even my publicist friend with the glamorous Dr Zhivago get-up managed to shoot the clay target. Not once; every time!
I always took Ms Publicist for a giant wuss. Who knew she was a trigger happy ace? If she could do it, why couldn't I?
Clay bird shooting was just one of the fun (in a failing sort of way) activities I indulged in during my mini-break at the luxurious Terrace Downs resort at the foothills of Mt Hutt.
Sneaking out of drizzly Auckland wasn't a hard decision to make. We flew to Christchurch courtesy of Pacific Blue and were picked up at the airport and chauffeured to the exclusive Terrace Downs resort - an hour out of the Garden City - where All Blacks Richie McCaw and Daniel Carter are known to escape to on weekends for a private round of golf.
Ms Publicist and I settled in to our plush villa suites with a panoramic view of the mountain. Mt Hutt was experiencing the best snow fall in 10 years, apparently. Not that skiing was on the agenda for this snow bunny. Relaxing in front of the fire with a nice glass of Pinot (Gris or Noir - I'm not fussy) was the plan.
Later we changed for dinner and returned to the clubhouse to dine in the resort's fine dining restaurant. We invited Mr strapping Events Co-ordinator to join us as the unabashed eye-candy. But we discovered the young one, (Bridgette O'Sullivan's little brother), was quite the charming conversationalist too. The cougars were impressed! Not that we were on the prowl for a little holiday fling. Ms Publicist is newly married and my love life is happily settled. But a girl can look, can't she?
We dined on exquisite meals of venison, duck, pork belly and ox tail - hearty winter cuisine for hearty appetites. There's something about the fresh alpine air that brings out the ravenous in me I tell myself, but truth be told, who wants to diet while on a pampering holiday? The fire crackled in the background as the snow started to fall outside. We discussed the next day's plan: leisurely breakfast followed by archery, horse-riding and jet boating, then a gentle Shiatsu massage.
We awoke the next morning to a fresh blanket of snow right up to our villa doors. The resort looked like a magical winter wonderland. We flagged anything too physically strenuous in favour of a jet boat ride up the Rakaia River at the hands of Jet Boat Jim, a colourful local character who looked like a macho Matthew McConaughey - fit, tanned and buff with a mischievous grin. If Canterbury Tourism marketed to single girls, I'm sure Jet Boat Jim would be up there on the tourist attractions.
We regrettably flew home last night, back to Auckland, back to the grindstone, but safe in the knowledge that we'll back to Terrace Downs in 10 days, where Spy will bring you exclusive coverage of Snow Jam. We can't wait!
Terrace Downs plays host to the much anticipated MTV Snow Jam concert on August 16. Up to 15,000 people are expected to cram the paddock to hear the likes of US hip hop stars Lil Jon, Fat Joe, and Baby Bash alongside other international and local acts from The Vines, Opshop, The Potbelleez, Donavon Frankenreiter, P-Money, PNC, The Grates to David Dallas. I'll be watching from the comfort of the plush VIP clubhouse. The gig will be filmed live and aired in over 30 countries around the world. Terrace Downs was picked by executives at MTV Australia as the perfect location for the event, and the American-owned music channel has signed a three-year deal with the exclusive Kiwi resort. If you're keen to come to MTV's Snow Jam check out www.mtv.co.nz for details.
If you're like us and you fancy a mini break to recharge the senses, you can't go pass the lavish Terrace Downs resort in Canterbury. Check it out at www.terracedowns.co.nz
Rachel Glucina